Scottish Executive

Economy

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual percentage average rate of inflation was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are currently no measures of inflation produced for Scotland.

European Union

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discretion it exercises when applying the EU Directive on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications.

Lewis Macdonald: The EU Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications requires that each member state takes account of qualifications obtained in other member states, while providing for the discretion to refuse acknowledgement of a qualification below its regulatory minimum. In the United Kingdom this is a matter for the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), with whom the Scottish Executive works on these matters.

Health

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Health and Community Care attended the informal EU Council of Health Ministers on 8 to 9 September 2004 and whether the minister or deputy minister will attend the EU Council of Health Ministers on 4 October 2004 where discussion on a revision of the Working Time Directive and its implications on the health sector are to be discussed.

Malcolm Chisholm: I did not attend the informal EU Council of Health Ministers and neither I, nor my deputy, will be attending the EU Council on 4 October. The Working Time Directive is a reserved matter but Executive ministers have participated in developing the UK line.

Law Officers

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the law officers have attended a political party conference in their official capacity in the last five years and, if so, in which year, which political party conference and for what purpose.

Colin Boyd QC: Neither Law Officer has attended any political party conference in an official capacity in the last five years. Earlier this year, in a personal capacity as a member of the Labour Party, I attended the Scottish Conference of the Labour Party. I last attended the same conference in 1998.

National Health Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9957 by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 September 2004, what the cost was of each medical negligence claim paid by NHS Forth Valley in 2003-04.

Malcolm Chisholm: In 2003-04 NHS Forth Valley settled 13 medical negligence claims and paid £2,627 million in compensation. £2.3 million was subsequently reimbursed to the NHS board by the Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS).

  CNORIS was introduced through Regulations in April 2000 and was set up to help its members with the rising cost of meeting rising clinical negligence claims. CNORIS provides cost effective claims management and financial risk pooling arrangements for all Scotland’s NHS boards (including Special Health Boards). Membership is mandatory for all health bodies in Scotland and covers both clinical and non-clinical claims.

  To protect patient confidentiality we are unable to give details of individual settlements.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how non-departmental public bodies can have charity status that requires independence if they are required to adhere to ministerial direction.

Mr Andy Kerr: The inconsistency of ministerial powers of direction over non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) with charitable status was highlighted by the 2001 McFadden Report.

  Consequently, Scottish ministers agreed that the position of charitable NDPBs would be subject to scrutiny as part of their quinquennial reviews which would allow a decision to be taken as to their continuation as a charity.

  These reviews are part of an on-going process to ensure that Scottish Public Bodies are fit for purpose and delivering high quality public services in a devolved Scotland.

Non-Domestic Rates

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated total yield was for non-domestic rate income in each year since 1996 contained in the Scottish Office and Executive’s budget documentation; what the actual yield was in each such year, and what factors might account for any significant inaccuracies in the forecasts in each year.

Mr Andy Kerr: Estimated and actual non-domestic rate income (NDRI) are shown in the table.

  

Year
Estimated NDRI1
(£)
Actual NDRI2
(£)


1996-97
1,313,000,000
1,332,051,869


1997-98
1,326,129,000
1,327,178,743


1998-99
1,395,228,000
1,435,935,145


1999-2000
1,440,522,000
1,496,647,480


2000-01
1,510,992,000
1,577,612,309


2001-02
1,553,926,000
1,670,869,187


2002-03
1,569,817,000
1,705,090,426



  Notes:

  1. Source: Budget Publications.

  2. Source: Certified returns submitted by local authorities to the Scottish Executive.

  The factors that account for differences in forecasts each year include actual income from non-domestic rates in the past proving to be higher than forecast, mainly due to higher than forecast buoyancy and lower than projected losses on appeals.

  Buoyancy is the increase in rateable value due to new properties and improvements to existing properties (less any reduction due to, for example, properties being demolished).

Non-Domestic Rates

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected income from non-domestic rates is for each of the next three years.

Mr Andy Kerr: Confirmed projected income from non-domestic rates for 2005-06 is £2,008.82 as published on page 85 of the Scottish Executive’s Annual Evaluation Report for 2005-06 (Bib. number 32479).

  Projected income for 2006-07 and 2007-08 will be announced shortly as part of the Spending Review.

Population

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what a successful outcome would be in respect of Scottish population numbers at the end of 2006-07.

Mr Andy Kerr: Under our Fresh Talent initiative we aim to maintain the Scottish population at a stable level. This is, however, a long-term policy in response to long term demographic trends and the Scottish Executive does not intend to set population targets for specific years.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on advertising in 2003-04.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive spent £9,404,909 (£8,004,178 ex VAT) on advertising in 2003-04. This was within the declared ceiling of £9,750,000, which itself was 25% less than for 2002-03.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimated expenditure is on advertising for (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06.

Mr Andy Kerr: Estimated expenditure for advertising for the year 2004-05 is £9,994,000 (£8,505,532 ex VAT) and is projected to remain flat for 2005-06.

Sport

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage pupils to participate in after-school sports activities in the west of Scotland parliamentary region.

Mr Frank McAveety: Over the three years to 2005-06 the Executive is investing £24 million in active schools across Scotland. This investment is designed to increase the number and range of opportunities for children and young people to become more active in and around the school day. The programme aims to establish links between schools and local sports clubs, which will offer children and young people clear pathways should they wish to continue sport beyond the school day. Over £5.5 million will be invested in active schools by the Executive and local authorities within the west of Scotland parliamentary area.

  Other opportunities are being made available through the New Opportunities for PE and Sport (NOPES) programme. £36.3 million is committed across Scotland to activities programmes. Each of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas received an allocation of funding available for the programme and the local authorities were expected to co-ordinate plans for their area with local key partners across the voluntary and private sector. The seven local authority areas covered by the west of Scotland parliamentary area have between them almost £5.5 million of NOPES funding to complement other planned activity.

Tourism

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support a mandatory registration scheme for quality assurance in the tourism industry.

Mr Frank McAveety: High quality in every aspect of Scottish tourism is vital - it is important that the expectations of our visitors are fulfilled during their visits to Scotland. The Scottish Executive has given VisitScotland an additional £3 million over two years to work with the tourism and related sectors to widen and enhance the impact of its current voluntary Quality Assurance schemes. Once we have assessed the results, we will consider whether or not a mandatory registration scheme should be pursued.

Tourism

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider a transitional support scheme, similar to that offered following the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, to encourage businesses to join a tourism registration scheme for quality assurance.

Mr Frank McAveety: The existing VisitScotland Quality Assurance Scheme currently covers around 80% of Scottish tourism establishments. This scheme is widely regarded as one of the best in the world. VisitScotland actively promotes to those not already involved in the scheme the business benefits associated with membership of it.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) online and (b) telephone bookings have been made as a result of using visitscotland.com, expressed also as percentages of bookings as a result of using visitscotland.com.

Mr Frank McAveety: This is an operational matter for visitscotland.com.